1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an apparatus and method for adjusting the height of a basketball goal assembly and, more particularly, to a novel basketball adjustment system having a slider that moves along the support pole. The slider may comprise an adjustment collar that can be unlocked and moved along the support pole with the aid of a trigger to facilitate convenient positioning of a basketball goal in relation to a playing surface.
2. The Relevant Technology
Basketball is an increasingly popular sport in the United States and abroad. There are many cities, counties and other associations that sponsor recreational and instruction leagues where people of all ages can participate in the sport of basketball. Today there are organized leagues for children as young as five and six years old. Accordingly, it is not surprising that more and more people are mounting basketball goals on their property.
The problem with many basketball goals is that the goal is usually fixed at a certain height above the playing surface. That height is generally the standard basketball goal height often (10) feet. Younger children, however, simply don""t have the strength to make a basket at the general standard height of ten feet. Many children, accordingly, may develop improper shooting skills in order to throw a basketball toward a goal that is too high. Oftentimes, children get frustrated with the sport and give it up. Other people may want to experience the feeling of dunking a basketball but are too short to do so. To this end, fixed-height basketball goals make such an experience impossible for many people.
Many attempts have been made to design a basketball goal which is adjustable to several different heights. Adjustable basketball goals allow people of all ages and sizes to enjoy the sport by adjusting the basketball goal to a height above the playing surface that is convenient for them. Some of these basketball goals employ a deformable parallelogramic linkage design that connects the basketball backboard to a rigid support such as a pole. In operation, these prior art deformable parallelogramic linkages are generally lockable to secure the basketball goal at a predetermined height above the playing surface.
One disadvantage of prior art adjustable basketball goal assemblies is that the locking mechanism or adjustment is positioned within or near the parallelogramic linkage, which is commonly located well above the playing surface. When a user desires to adjust the height of the basketball goal, the user is typically required to use a ladder, stool or the like to reach the adjustment mechanism and mechanically xe2x80x9cunlockxe2x80x9d the basketball goal. As appreciated, this creates the potential danger of the user falling.
Other types of adjustable basketball goals have adjustment systems that are accessible with the use of a rod or pole such as, for example, a broomstick handle. Oftentimes, there is no such adjustment device readily available. The user must therefore suffer the inconvenience of finding a suitable implement, or simply choose not to adjust the height of the basketball goal.
Another disadvantage of many prior art adjustable basketball goal assemblies is that the adjustment mechanism has a locking member which is separate and distinct from the adjustment mechanism. Accordingly, two hands are needed to simultaneously unlock the lock, adjust the adjustment mechanism and then lock the locking member in a predetermined position. In addition, many adjustable basketball goal assemblies comprise prior art locking and adjustment mechanisms that are complex in design, requiring a large number of working components in order to simultaneously and easily adjust and lock the basketball goal system in one of its plurality of configurations. As appreciated, this type of design increases the cost and complexity of manufacturing the basketball goal assembly.
Yet further, many known adjustable basketball goal assemblies can be locked in place at an infinite number of positions. Hence, standard goal heights, such as eight, nine, or ten feet, may be difficult to obtain with accuracy. The user is forced to measure the goal height with every adjustment, or use potentially inaccurate reference markings on the goal assembly to guess the probable height of the basketball goal.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that it would be an advancement in the art to provide an adjustable basketball goal assembly that can be adjusted by a user standing at ground level without the use of a ladder or a pole. It would be a further advancement to provide such an adjustable basketball goal assembly that could be adjusted quickly and easily using a single hand of a user. It would be another advancement in the art to provide such an adjustable basketball goal assembly that is simple in design, cost effective to manufacture and transport, and easy to assemble. Additionally, it would be an advancement in the art to provide such an adjustable basketball goal assembly in which the height of the goal could only be locked in place at a plurality of discrete and predictable heights.
The apparatus of the present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully resolved by currently available basketball goals. Thus, it is an overall objective of the present invention to provide a basketball goal that overcomes many or all of the shortcomings in the art discussed above.
To achieve the foregoing object, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein in the presently preferred embodiment, a novel adjustable basketball goal assembly is provided. The basketball goal assembly of the present invention includes a support pole which extends in a substantially upward direction. The support pole has a goal side and a back side opposite the goal side.
A deformable goal support structure is preferably pivotally attached to the goal side of the support pole such that the goal support structure is suspended above the playing surface. A basketball goal is preferably attached to the goal support structure adjacent the goal side of the support pole. In one presently preferred embodiment, the basketball goal includes a rim, a backboard and a net. The goal support structure is configured such that, as the goal support structure deforms, the height of the basketball goal above the playing surface changes, each height corresponding to a different deformation. Specifically, the configuration of the goal support structure allows the rim of the basketball goal to be adjusted to several different heights while remaining horizontally disposed in relation to the playing surface.
A slider, such as an adjustment collar, may be slidably disposed on the support pole. The adjustment collar may have a housing, a trigger, and a resilient member positioned to urge the trigger toward the support pole. A collar engagement feature, such as an extension, may be attached to the trigger proximate the support pole. The support pole may, in turn, have an array of pole engagement features, such as holes configured to form slots or other shapes, or similar structures disposed along a portion of the length of the pole, facing the extension. The extension may engage one of the holes to keep the adjustment collar in place at a selected location along the support pole.
A coupling member is preferably disposed between the goal support structure and the adjustment collar. The coupling member may take the form of an adjustment arm with a first end and a second end. Preferably, the first end of the adjustment arm is attached to the goal support structure, such that the remainder of the adjustment arm extends downward along the back side of the support pole. The second end may be pivotally attached to the housing or trigger of the adjustment collar.
With such a configuration, a user can simultaneously compress the trigger and adjust the position of the adjustment collar along the support pole with a single hand. In operation, downward motion of the adjustment collar draws a leveraging arm on the lower linkage arm down toward the playing surface, causing the basketball goal to rise. Conversely, moving the adjustment collar upward causes the leveraging arm on the lower linkage arm to rise, lowering the basketball goal.
Thus, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a basketball goal assembly that permits one-handed height adjustment. The basketball goal assembly is conveniently adjustable, cost effective to manufacture, and easy to assemble. It is another advantage of the present invention that the height of the basketball goal is adjustable without the aid of a ladder or pole. It is a further advantage of the present invention that the adjustment collar can be unlocked and the height simultaneously adjusted with the use of a single hand. It is also an advantage of the present invention that the adjustment collar is self-locking, so that releasing the adjustment collar only permits limited motion of the basketball goal. The basketball goal is moved in discreet, predictable increments. The result is safer and more convenient adjustment of the height of the basketball goal.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.